Even though the Brazil-Uruguay rivalry, I feel sad for their decadence. After all elite should always be elite! There aren't much south-americans teams that can be contenders of the WC today, and I would really like to see Uruguay back puting up a fight against the best. Do you think it may happen some day? I think their downfall began after that lost to Denmark in 86. They could never again recover from that trauma, even though they had good players and formed good teams after it. That side (Francescolly, Ruben Sosa and Fonseca) who played in the WCQ of 94 wasn't so bad and they should have qualified, after all Bolivia proved later that their victory row in the La Paz altitude was a fluke, IMO. So, what do you think are Uruguay's problems and how they can overcome it?
I think Uruguay still produces good talent. But they lack discipline. In the old days, the 'Garra Charrua' (which can be translated as great desire and fighting spirit) was enough to get them always near the top. But in today's football you need tactical discipline, and I have yet to see the Uruguayan team that has it. I think Passarella tried to modernize Uruguayan football, and he was resisted. Uruguay still doesn't understand what it takes to win today.
Good points. I think they should keep opening themselves for foreign coaching, since coaches have not been an uruguayan speciality in a long while.
You make good points. Uruguayan football does need some change. They certainly lack discipline as too often Uruguayan teams get involved in on field theatrics and we all realize they kick their opponents too much. I too feel Uruguayan coaching needs some fresh blood and new ideas. But the talent remains. In this last World Cup, Uruguay had a team which could and should have gone farther. But they were too defensive and too intent on theatrics. Once they decided to play, they played very well and were a missed wide open header by Richard Morales from knocking out Senegal and passing to the next round. The good thing is the base of that team is very young and they could go places in the next 3 years if they can maintain their discipline.
Uruguay is a small nation with only about 3 million people and the world of football has grown a lot since they were on top. Their downfall is natural and started much earlier than 1986 against Denmark. They didn't qualify for 1982 or 1978. How many matches have they actually won in World Cups since their semifinal at 1970? Hardly any. I don't think they will ever be a powerhouse again, but the game is in the blood of the people and they should produce decent sides capable of quarterfinal runs also in the future. Players like Recoba and Montero can perform at any level and others will follow.
I think you're too pessimistic. Since when one country needs to have a large territory or population to be WC contenders? As far as I know small countries like Holland and Portugal are still in the top of the world stage. You only need a few world class players and some good serious management to win a WC today, and Uruguay has provided a deal of them in the recent past. (Francescolly, Ruben Sosa, Ruben Paz, Fonseca, Recoba..). Of course they also have to unite themselves into the objective and forget some vanity issues like they have displaying recently. At least experience in winning tough tournaments they do have, in contrary to the new soccer nations.
Players as talented as Gustavo Varela (Schalke04), Diego Forlán (ManU), Darío Silva (Malaga), Paolo Montero(Juventus), Alvaro Recoba (Internazionale) assure the charruas might need time to rebuild a squad and mount some serious challenge at least for the WCqualifiers, and while I agree about the lack of discipline (and people like Nelson Acosta although successful with Cobreloa nowadays didnt contribute at all in the past) I'm sure they'll be back.
who is on Uruguay's way to get back at the level some of you wish for? they are like peru.... once they fell of the big stage, WC, the strugle has increased since. do they have elected a coach yet? I think the lack of a long term program at the higer and sub20 level is a priority before they sound strong like 20 yrs ago. nice to see talented Individuals, at terrific levels, but as a team, the things are not clicking. they hosted qualifying tourney for world cup -sub20, and let it go in their own turf!
sergio markarian is charrua and he is a great coach at least he is better that all peruvian coaches in the world combined
who is on Uruguay's way to be back at #4? history question: when peru went to WC - like 20 yrs ago, did they have a local coach or an outsider?
Re: who is on Uruguay's way to be back at #4? I think it was Marcos Calderón Medrano, peruvian (or he just qualified them to Arg 78?)
Nope, me dió curiosidad y lo encontré: Elba de Padua Tim, brazuca! http://www.geocities.com/rojiblanca/peru82.htm
in the last 3 world cups our coaches have been the great didi in 1970 peruvian calderon in 78 who later died in the 1987 alianza disaster and tim in 1982 who had a good qualifying but a world cup to forget autori is our first brazilian since tim will it be 3 out 3 for the brazilian
markarian no es el coach de Uruguay, sergio esta en grecia o turquia desde hace un año el que parecia estar mas cerca es Juan Roman, pero despues de las 2 goleadas en copa, se empantano la decision.... cruz axul y corintians le metieron de a 6 goles cada uno es el mas joven de los tecnicos charruas, saco al fenix, campeon con 96 goles en 40 partidos, y le gusta jugar con 3 delanteros -3medios - defensas, pero se apoya en los carriles y por ahi le meten los goles cada partido. Voy a revisar lo que lleva uruguay a la Plata el miercoles, puede se Juan R.
De hecho Juan Ramón Carrasco es el tecnico actualmente, creo q vico quiso decir q Markarian como timonel pudiera haber llevado por el buen sendero a la celeste.
What's the best uruguayan team that could be assembled today (players still in activity, with no injuries or boycotts) in your guys opinion?
los mas importantes en la final europea. los uruguayos juventinos Paolo Montero, Marcelo Zalayeta y Rubén Olivera. De los nueve jugadores sudamericanos que estarán presentes, tan sólo Fernando Redondo ya ha conquistado la Liga de Campeones. Lo ha conseguido en dos ocasiones y ambas con el Real Madrid (1998 y 2000). Quien ya sabe lo que es estar en una final de la Liga de Campeones es Paolo Montero. El uruguayo ha estado presente en otras dos ocasiones, en las que, muy a su pesar, ha vivido el sabor de la derrota: 1996-97, contra el Borussia Dortmund (3-1); y 1997-98, ante el Real Madrid (1-0). Montero, en su palmarés, tiene 4 ligas italianas (1997, 1998, 2002 y 2003), 1 Supercopa Italiana (1997), 1 Supercopa Europea (1996) y 1 Copa Intercontinental (1996). Todos los restantes, se estrenarán en una final de la Liga de Campeones de Europa. Sin embargo, la mayor parte de ellos ya saben lo que triunfar en otras importantes competiciones. De los sudamericanos juventinos, Zalayeta suma ya 3 ligas italianas con el Juventus Turín (1998, 2002 y 2003); mientras que Camoranesi y el juvenil Olivera han estrenado su palmarés con la actual liga 2002-03.